Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2024 after producing his best-ever annual haul in the red-ball format.
Rising in both home and away conditions, Bumrah was the best bowler in the world in 2024, significantly helping to put India in contention for the ICC World Test Championship standings.
After a protracted hiatus due to a back injury, marking his comeback to the longest format in late 2023, he accumulated an amazing wicket count and set many records.
As India won series triumphs over England and Bangladesh and rose to the occasion in away circumstances in South Africa and Australia, the right-arm quick proved crucial in home conditions.
Test record of Jasprit Bumrah in 2024: 71 wickets from 13 matches
Toping the charts with 71, well clear of second-ranked Gus Atkinson of England (52 in 11), Bumrah was far and away the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket in 2024.
In a fast-scoring era of Test cricket, he broke the pattern with an eye-watering 357 overs in the format yet maintained an incredible average of 2.96. His average during the year was a shocking 14.92, and he finished 2024 with just a 30.1 annual strike rate.
Following in the footsteps of Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble and Kapil Dev, Bumrah’s 71-wicket haul makes him just the fourth India bowler to take more than 70 Test wickets in a calendar year.
None of the 17 bowlers who have taken 70+ wickets in a calendar year performed at an average as low as Bumrah’s throughout test history.
Beginning India’s unforgettable Test victory in Cape Town against South Africa, when the pace head was on target with eight wickets in the two innings as India pinned down the Proteas by eight wickets, Bumrah’s amazing 2024 run started.
